The International Advanced Manufacturing Park – or IAMP as its better known – is an exciting new 370-acre site for the North East.
HBD is partnering with the two local councils to create spaces that support the region’s supply chain, keeping the best manufacturing talent in the North East of England through the creation of around 7,000 jobs over the next decade.
A former airfield surrounded by farmland, IAMP is an exciting new place being delivered in a partnership comprising Sunderland and South Tyneside Councils – and HBD following the latter’s appointment in 2018.
This area of England is a leader in manufacturing, with a local highly skilled workforce – many of whom work for Nissan, a major employer with a factory and 8,000 workers close to IAMP.
As the UK continues to realign its international trade relations, the Council had a clear objective here, to protect the region’s manufacturing prowess. The vision for IAMP was to create a home for Nissan et al’s supply chain, creating high quality, sustainable spaces that would help keep production within the UK.
After initial deals were signed with two Nissan suppliers, the partners committed to escalating the creation of IAMP, starting with infrastructure and the delivery of a new junction on the nearby A19 arterial route.
A manufacturing hub for the future
Fast forward to today and the dream for IAMP is being realised. HBD is onsite creating the UK’s only Gigafactory, a battery factory that will supply Nissan as it increases its production of electric vehicles.
Added appeal comes from the site’s location, with the councils’ foresight to create the space in a location which is not only close to roads, but also to waterways, with two deep water ports within five miles of IAMP at the Port of Tyne and the Port of Sunderland – routes which are crucial for the automotive sector as they allow for faster exports.
There are impressive green credentials too with HBD creating large areas of biodiversity, protecting and enhancing the nature corridor, improving footpaths.
And the work is still far from done, with HBD and the partners submitting a recent planning application for a further 1.6m of space, creating new hubs for more jobs, as well as new roads to further improve the infrastructure here.
Their efforts will ensure that other manufacturing businesses can continue to make this area of the North East their home – protecting the region’s longstanding reputation in the process.
“IAMP is a nationally significant manufacturing scheme – one of the largest live sites in the UK – with an important role to play in the delivery of the Industrial Strategy. It has never been more important to provide businesses with the facilities, power capabilities and local skills base to encourage innovation and development – we’ve been encouraged by the interest we’ve seen from both UK and International businesses in recent months and look forward to welcoming new occupiers to the site as development work at IAMP progresses.” – David Wells, Director at HBD
